A Toy Story Story
by CatGal15
Summary: The toys are at risk of losing each other for good. Cliffhanger. Complete and to be continued. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

It was a warm, beautiful day in Detroit. The sky was clear and the sun shone down on the crowd shuffling between tables stocked with keepsakes. A young woman picked up a VHS and examined it, realizing that a very dear friend of hers would appreciate the gift.

It was marked down to ten dollars. She fished in her pocket for the bills and extracted the right one, approaching the man behind one of the tables. She showed him the item and its price and he let her walk off the lot with her purchase.

Twenty minutes later she rang her friend's doorbell, and a beautiful teenager answered. "Hey, Robin, what's up?"

"I thought you'd want to see this." Robin handed the copy of the film to her.

Turning it over, Bonnie looked at the copy of Woody's Roundup. "Wait, what's this?"

"Seems your cowboy and cowgirl are rare collectibles. You might want to have them appraised." Robin tapped the film. "This dates back to 1926. Yours are in like-new condition and you've had them for seventeen years. And how old was their previous owner?"

"Seventeen."

Robin nodded. "They might be extremely valuable."

Bonnie smiled, looking up at her friend. "Thank you. I'll check into it right now. Want to see?"

"Absolutely."

Robin walked in after her and closed the door, and the pair traipsed upstairs to Bonnie's computer. After doing some quick research, their jaws dropped.

"Oh, wow." Robin turned and made her way to Bonnie's bed, where she sat, attempting to collect her thoughts. Finally she asked, "What're you gonna do?"

"Well...I have been ignoring them lately. If I can find a buyer willing to spend that much...my family could get out of debt and we could keep our house." Resolutely she turned back to the computer, opened the Internet and began to type.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to post an ad." Bonnie signed into a website and began setting it up, and feeling a little envious, Robin picked up Bonnie's basketball and started playing with it.

"Do you still go to practice?" Robin asked.

Bonnie looked quickly over at her. "Yeah."

"Maybe tomorrow I'll come by and watch the game."

"There is no game tomorrow."

Robin raised a brow. "So you're free tomorrow."

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, I think I may have found your ideal match..."

"Robin, no," Bonnie groaned. "I don't do blind dates."

"Please? He really wants to meet you."

Bonnie's hands lifted from the keyboard like it had started moving, and she turned slowly to face her friend. "What did you tell him?"

"Everything."

Bonnie's eyebrows came low. "Explain," she said succinctly.

"I said that you are pretty, and nice, and on the basketball team, and that you don't celebrate the holidays; and I told him you cook, and take a lot of pictures."

Bonnie waited for more, but Robin was silent. "And?" she prompted.

"And, nothing."

"That's all I do, huh? Play basketball, take pictures...feed myself?"

"He was interested! I didn't want him to know everything; what would you guys talk about?"

Bonnie turned back to the computer. "I don't do blind dates," she repeated doggedly. She continued to create the ad.

Robin sighed and began to dribble the basketball. The second time she caught it, she looked back at the back of her friend's head and sighed. "His name is Garrett," she said. "He's got blue eyes, a nice smile...He doesn't celebrate the holidays either, he loves photography, and he loves brown eyes." She fished out a slip of paper. "Look, here's his picture."

Bonnie looked down at the photo.

"And Travis and I would be there, too; it'd be a double date."

Bonnie sighed. "Fine."

Robin clapped cutely. "Yay. I'll call him." She stood and left the room.

Bonnie grabbed her camera and set up the toys, taking pictures of them to include in her post. After transferring the photos to her computer and inserting them into her ad, she clicked Publish Post. 


	2. Chapter 2

It didn't take long before Bonnie's post garnered attention, but it was the final offer that sealed the deal. "Robin! Check this out!" Bonnie squealed, summoning her friend. Robin peered over Bonnie's shoulder.

"Whoa, impressive! Are you taking it?"

"How could I not?" Bonnie clicked on the reply tab. "I never thought a bunch of old toys would net me enough money to keep this place!"

Unseen, Buzz pushed back the bedskirt, peering up at them from under the bed.

Robin scoffed. "You'll have money left over." She scooted back. "Here, what do you think?"

Robin leaned closer to the screen. " 'Thank you for your generous offer. I accept due to financial problems. Initiate sale at your earliest convenience'." She leaned back. "Can you make it sound less...robotic?"

"I could," Bonnie answered, and clicked Submit. She stood and went to her closet, unaware that one of her toys was consciously watching her every move. She grabbed an old duffel bag. "I wish I had the Prospector to complete my collection."

Woody, Jessie, and Bullseye were going to be sold. Buzz couldn't believe it. He let the bedskirt sway back into place and leaned against the wall.

"I'm putting the toys into the attic until he gives me a time and place. I need you to hold the ladder down, okay?"

"Sure."

The girls left the room. Alone, Buzz tried to comprehend what was happening. As he tried to wrap his mind around the fact that his beloved Jessie was going to another owner, the phone in Bonnie's room began to ring. Bonnie rushed back into her room, dropping the duffel bag near the bed. As Bonnie answered the call, Buzz moved to the shape on the other side of the bedskirt, and peered into the bag. Woody, Jessie and Bullseye peered at him.

Unnoticed, Buzz crawled into the duffel bag and zipped it shut.

"What are you doing?" Woody whispered.

"Shh!"

"...I don't know, hang on," Bonnie was saying. Then she called, "Robin, it's Travis!"

"Why is he calling you?"

"Because he tried calling you, and you weren't answering."

"Ah, shoot. Hey, Travis..."

The bag was picked up and carried awhile, and the toys could hear the attic stairs coming down. Still talking on the phone, Robin held it in place while Bonnie climbed the steps. She placed the bag on the dusty wood floor and descended.

When the stairs closed with a creak and a bang, the zipper opened from the inside and the toys clambered out. "What's going on?" Woody asked.

The way Buzz was looking at Jessie was making her nervous. "Buzz?" she asked, in little more than a whisper, and took his hand.

He drew in a deep breath and squeezed her porcelain fingers. "Bonnie found out how valuable you are. She's...she's selling you."

"What?" Jessie gasped.

"She doesn't want us anymore?" Woody asked. "Wh-what about you, and all the other toys?"

"We're not part of the package," Buzz muttered.

Speechless, Woody and Jessie stared at him. Looking terribly sad, Bullseye turned and walked dejectedly away, disappearing into an alleyway between two boxes.

"This...This can't happen," Woody began. "We can't leave."

"Really, sherriff?" Buzz asked. "Then tell her that."

Woody began to respond, but found he had no words. He knew the consequences, and it was a rule he had already broken once. He couldn't violate it again. So he turned and walked away without giving a response.

Jessie did the only thing she could. She took off her hat so she could hug her partner. Buzz wrapped his arms around her. "I'm...I'm going to miss you."

She held him tight. "I miss you already," she whispered, and she closed her eyes and turned her head against his neck. Unwilling to let each other go, they stayed that way for a long time.

"This isn't goodbye, it can't be," Jessie finally said.

He pulled away just far enough to gently cup her face with both hands. "It won't be," he corrected her. "We can meet at Sunnyside once, twice a month."

Perhaps his words should have consoled her, but they didn't. It wasn't good enough. She wanted to sleep next to him each night, and wake up next to him each morning.

But...once or twice a month was better than nothing. She sighed and nodded. "And you'll be there?"

"I will."

She hugged him again and wished she could control the flow of time. 


	3. Chapter 3

That night, Buzz and Jessie fell asleep in each other's arms, in a patch of moonlight that came in through a filthy window.

Woody wandered around the attic, until he found a vent; through which he could hear voices. He sat and shamelessly eavesdropped on a very important conversation. "...Mom, wait. Listen. I know these toys are important to Andy, but, I mean, we don't even know if he's alive anymore. The guy that's buying them owns a museum. He wants them in an exhibit."

"And what are you going to tell Andy?"

"How would I contact Andy?"

"I have his address right here."

There was a brief pause before Bonnie spoke again. "Andy will understand why I sold them. We need the money."

"Bonnie, sweetie -those toys meant a lot to him. What if he wanted to buy them back himself?"

"Mom, please. He's thirty-three."

"And this museum owner could be sixty, but he wants them, doesn't he?"

"Yes - for safekeeping. For all we know, Andy's a...bootblack. You know, I'm surprised you care more about a bunch of old toys, rather than this Garrett I have a date with."

"Because that's an easy conversation - you're not seeing him."

As the conversation shifted into a fight about boys, Woody stood and walked away from the vent. He approached the duffel bag and took off his hat, stepping inside. Sitting down he rested his head against the fabric and worried about whatever the future held for Jessie, Bullseye, and himself.

-0-0-0-0-

"Woody!" Mrs. Potato Head yelled. "Jessie?"

"I noticed myself that they're missin'," Slink said.

"Buzz and Bullseye are, too," Rex chipped in.

"I know where they went," Mr. Potato Head announced. "Bonnie came in and snatched 'em up. Stuffed 'em in a bag."

"What? Why would she do that?" Trixie asked.

"I have a baaad feelin'," Hamm said.

"What kind of bag was it?" Rex asked.

"Sports."

Rex looked clueless. "Well, that doesn't tell me anything!"

"Aw, nuts. We were all hopin," Hamm said insincerely.

Rex screamed a little as Buzz knocked on the window. He unlocked it and pulled it open, and Buzz stepped into the room. Rain dripped off his helmet.

"Where were ya?" Mr. Potato Head asked.

"The attic. Troops, I have some bad news. Jessie, Woody, and Bullseye are being sold."

His friends appeared speechless.

"That was my reaction, too. Take all the time you need. When you're ready, I'm sure they'd like to see you." Buzz stepped over the track and Rex leaned outside, watching the space toy run across the roof. Lightning glinted off his armor, and Rex quickly ducked inside as deafening thunder shook the glass.

"It's spooky out there!" Rex whined.

"Ah, it's nothin'." Mr. Potato Head jumped over the sill and followed Buzz.

The other toys followed Mr. Potato Head. Rex moved slowly, dreading going out into the storm. He pulled the window shut and crept across the roof. Buzz had tied a rope someplace in the attic and tossed it onto the roof, and he reached the top and climbed onto the window ledge. Stepping out of the way, he turned and lent a helping hand, pulling up his friends as each one reached the top. With rain pouring out of his slot like a mini waterfall, Hamm was the last one, and as a pair he and Buzz stepped over the track and onto the windowsill inside the attic. He undid and pulled up the rope, shut the window and looked at Jessie, who had awakened and now sat all alone in the moonlight, arms wrapped around her knees. She looked as if she wanted to cry. Mentally cursing himself for leaving her side, Buzz walked to her and she stood, taking both of his hands within her own. They stared at each other, each wondering how they were supposed to go on without the other.

Woody and Bullseye walked toward the other toys. "I can't believe you're being sold," Slink said.

"I'm really going to miss all of you," Woody said. Although, perhaps selfishly, he was happy Bo wasn't there, only to break his heart with that look on her face...

"Now what did I tell you?" Buzz asked, jarring him from his thoughts. "We'll meet at Sunnyside once, twice a month. All of us. It'll be our reunion building. Barbie and Ken run the place now. I'm sure it's much more inviting and friendly these days."

Jessie clung to his words tighter than she clung to his hand, hoping with all her metaphorical heart that it would somehow all work out.

"How about the fifteenth and the thirtieth?" Slink suggested.

The toys looked at one another, nodding their consent.

"What happens if a toy misses a day?" Jessie asked.

"Then they better have a good excuse the next time we meet," Buzz answered. Still holding onto her hand, he looked at Woody and put a hand on his shoulder.

Woody sighed. "I'm sorry, Buzz."

"Sorry? For what?"

"For pushing you out the window, and...abandoning you in Sid's room."

Buzz smiled, offering his hand. "Apology accepted, sherriff."

They shook hands, and Jessie hugged Buzz. He put a hand on her back and she seemed perfectly content to cling to him until Bonnie would collect her for the sale.

-0-0-0-0-

Buzz couldn't sleep that night. He knew he didn't have a heart, but this was the first time he actually felt empty within. Jessie had a knack for keeping him so full inside. Knowing he was losing her was ripping him apart. He sat and saw her sitting at the window, her hands over her eyes, shaking with her sobs.

Buzz stood and walked over to the chair beside the window. He climbed onto it before he could access the ledge. Pulling himself up he sat next to her and put a hand over hers. When she looked up at him her eyes were dry, but shining dimly with fading polish. "What are we going to do about us?"

"What do you mean?"

"Should we break up? Wouldn't that make this easier?"

"No," he said firmly. When she flinched at his voice he lightly touched her cheek. "No," he repeated. "It would make it worse. It would make the first goodbye more painful, and every meeting awkward."

"But, Buzz...we're going to a museum," she wept. "How am I supposed to break out of there?"

"A museum? What're you talking about?"

"Woody told me. While you were gone."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier!" Buzz thundered.

"I didn't want to break up in front of everyone."

"Well, why didn't Woody tell me?"

"I asked him not to, for the same reason." Jessie's lower lip quivered and she looked away.

Buzz looked at the window. "Bonnie's sound asleep," he said. "The window opens. What if we left?"

"You know Bonnie's doing this for financial reasons. Do not ask me to do that to her." Jessie's voice was suddenly cold and unfamiliar to him.

"Okay, sorry. Alright." The pair were quiet awhile. Finally a thought formulated, and he blurted it out. "S-so you want to break up here? Now?"

"I don't want to!" she nearly shouted. Behind her, Bullseye lifted his head. "But what else can we do?" she continued. "Do you really want to be tied down to someone you can never see? Never touch?"

Buzz watched her as she put her head on her knees and closed her eyes. He sighed and repositioned himself. "Then our only other option is to talk to Bonnie."

"Can we really take that risk?" Jessie asked softly.

"A risk untaken is a chance wasted," he said decisively, and he stood and held out his hand. "Are you with me?"

She didn't know how much longer she could say yes, so she grabbed onto his hand and let him pull her to her feet. Together, they crept to the window, and while he unlocked and opened it she knelt and grabbed the rope. Quietly and swiftly, they left the attic. Standing on the edge of the rooftop, Jessie dropped one end of the rope onto the grass, and they began to descend. 


	4. Chapter 4

Holding onto her hat with both hands, Jessie ran after Buzz through the tall grass and the wet winds around the back of the house all the way to the front. He motioned her ahead of him, and she let herself into the house through the doggy door. The house was dark and quiet, but a blue glow was coming from the mostly closed den door. The glow changed to orange as Buzz and Jessie walked along the hardwood, their boots tapping on the floor. She looked in concern at him, and he nodded.

Slowly, Jessie pushed open the door.

The TV was on a very low volume. Bonnie's mother sat on the couch, her head thrown back. She was snoring, one limp hand resting on the remote.

Buzz began to back out of the room. His eyes went wide as Jessie crept inside, toward the couch.

"Jessie!" he whispered. "Hey!"

She kept going. Reaching the couch she stood on her tiptoes and peered at the remote. Seeing a dim flash of red, she reached up and pressed the Off button. The room went dark and Mrs. Anderson continued to snore. Satisfied, Jessie hurried back to Buzz and he closed the door most of the way, as Mrs. Anderson had left it.

"We're not here to get caught by anyone except Bonnie," he muttered to her.

"Sorry. It's a waste of power."

"And yet a wasted opportunity doesn't bother you?"

They pulled themselves up each stair, until suddenly the den door creaked from behind them. Moving quickly they each stumbled to the side, pressing themselves behind a baluster. Mrs. Anderson shuffled past the stairs and disappeared into the downstairs washroom. The door clicked shut. Breathing sighs of relief, the toys ascended the last few stairs and crept down the hallway and paused outside of Bonnie's room.

The light was on.

Buzz gripped Jessie's hand.

"Are you sure about this?" she whispered.

He looked at her. "You're worth every risk there is," he whispered back. He pushed open the door.

Bonnie's eyes lifted from her book. Unable to see a person, she assumed it was the dog, coming in to sleep with her as he always did. She kept reading.

Until four purple-tipped fingers were slowly lowering the book.

Bonnie's eyes widened as she saw their very familiar faces. By the time she could see their bodies, she was on the verge of panic. "Oh - my - goodness - " she gasped.

"Easy, lady," Buzz said.

"You - can - you can - talk! And walk! Wait, wait, what...What - what do you want from me?"

Jessie lay a flawless porcelain hand on Bonnie's arm. "We want to stay together."

"I don't want you to sell my girlfriend."

"You - you know about that?" Bonnie squeaked.

"We know everything about you, Bonnie," Jessie said soothingly. "Everything you've ever said, done, cried over...every lie you ever told. We all know."

"All?"

"Bonnie," Buzz said. "Please don't make me lose Jessie."

Bonnie's breaths began to shorten, and Jessie clung to her fingers. "Bonnie? Bonnie, try to relax. Try to - "

Bonnie began gasping. "No. No, this can't be," she choked out. "S-Sid was right!"

Jessie and Buzz looked at one another in shock.

"He blew up living things?" Bonnie choked out. "He knew, and...he still blew them up?"

"You know him?" Buzz demanded. "How?"

"We take...ch-chemistry class..."

"Of course you do," Buzz muttered.

Bonnie's eyes locked with Jessie's. "All?" she repeated.

"All," Jessie confirmed. "Bonnie, please. Please. Don't separate us."

Bonnie stared at her. "You know everything about me?"

"Yeah."

"Then you know I need money. My house is at risk; my whole family and I could become homeless." Bonnie's eyes narrowed. "And you're asking me not to sell?"

"I'm asking you to tell this guy that I'm not a museum piece," Jessie told her. "I'm trying to compromise. If you need money, if you need to sell Woody and Bullseye and me - fine. But we need to be able to escape every now and then to see each other. That's all we're asking."

Bonnie thought about it. "O-okay. I-I-I'll mention it...That's all I can do."

They smiled tentatively at her. 


	5. Chapter 5

Bonnie looked up at a depressed young man, clothed in a dark hoody and jeans. He thumbed gloomily through a fat book.

Opening her desk, Bonnie took out a slip of paper and a pencil. She wrote the words, "We really need to talk" and underlined "really" twice. Clenching her fist over the note, she stood and carried her pencil toward the sharpener, putting the note on Sid's desk as she walked by. Stopping at the sharpener, she looked over his shoulder and saw him reading the note. Their eyes locked and he nodded.

-0-0-0-0-

Sid was waiting for her in the hallway. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Actually, we need to talk in private."

"Whatever." He walked with her, eyeing her warily.

A group of girls looked at them as they approached. "Hey, Bonnie!" one of them called over the noise. "My house!"

Bonnie shook her head. "Another time," she yelled back, and followed Sid. The girls watched them go.

"Oh, no," one of them sighed.

"Yep, she's doomed," another said.

Meanwhile, Bonnie followed Sid to his car, and he unlocked it. "That private enough?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Get in."

They got in and closed the doors, oblivious to Bonnie's horrified friends watching Bonnie get into a car with moody, morose Sid Phillips.

"What?" Sid asked.

"You were right all along. All this time. I didn't believe you and I called you crazy and I'm sorry, but I know now..."

"What are you babbling about, Anderson?" he interrupted.

"The toys." She looked at him, gripping his arm. "I know they're alive. I saw it. Last night."

A spark of emotion flashed through his normally dull eyes, and he turned to face her. "You for real?"

"Yes. I believe you."

A hesitant but genuine smile transformed his face. "Really?"

He looked like he wanted to hug her. She nodded. "Really. They said...they knew everything about me."

"It's scary, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Kind of."

He nodded and smiled again. "You walk here today?"

"Yeah."

"I'll drive you home."

Bonnie's friends watched in fear as Sid drive away, with her in his car. The look of anger that was always frozen in his eyes had vanished, replaced by a happiness that made him seem approachable. When Bonnie got out a few minutes later, he gave her a smile so warm that she had to quell the urge to apologize for what others had said about him. He was still smiling when he drove away.

Bonnie's feet were so light she practically floated inside.

Tonight couldn't have made him like me any less, she thought. She was carrying her backpack to her room when she remembered the confined quarters of the attic, and she stopped, looking up at the square outline in the ceiling. Dropping her backpack beside her door she opened the attic stairs and climbed up.

Seeing it was just her, the toys came out of their hiding places. Bonnie pulled the stairs shut. "I guess Buzz and Jessie told you," she said, and she looked at the couple. "I'm sorry for what I'm doing to you. I didn't realize you were in a relationship."

They smiled at her.

"Are there any other relationships I should know about?"

"Well, you know we're married," Mrs. Potato Head said, grabbing her husband's hand. "Now I'd like to introduce you to our children."

"C'mere, kids!" Mr. Potato Head called, and they came shyly from their hiding place. Bonnie watched them, smiling and nodding.

"Okay," she said. "Anyone else?" She looked at Woody. "How about you?"

The toys all grimaced as Woody looked down. "No. No, not me." He turned and walked slowly away.

"Woody..." Jessie said, and followed him into the labyrinth of boxes. "Woody, I'm so sorry about - "

"Please, Jess," he said gutturally. "Don't talk about her."

"Woody, it's okay to remember."

"I don't want to. I shouldn't be able to, I'm a toy..." He paused, still unwilling to face her. "But I'm cursed," he finally finished.

Jessie looked down. "Sorry," she whispered, and turned away. She began to make her way out of the maze, but suddenly her feet wouldn't carry her any further. She stopped, but her mind continued to wander. She thought about Bo. 


	6. Chapter 6

Bonnie hadn't been gone very long when she opened the attic and scrambled up, appearing panicked. "Guys, guys!" she whispered fiercely, summoning them back out from their hiding places. "The collector's going to be here in eleven minutes!"

"What!" Woody shouted.

"He sent the message at three saying he'd be here in six hours! It's eight forty-nine."

"Please, please tell him I'm not a museum piece!" Jessie exclaimed.

"I'll tell him, but...what else can I say? Can I tell him you're alive?" Bonnie asked.

"No!" all the toys said at once.

"It's bad enough you and Sid know," Woody told her. "We broke the rule twice telling the two of you."

"Well, why did you tell a nasty boy like Sid Phillips in the first place?" Mr. Potato Head asked.

"We were trying to save Buzz - !"

"Guys, guys!" Bonnie snapped. "This is no time to bicker."

Woody looked back at Mr. Potato Head. "Sorry. I just figured it was a fair trade."

Bonnie ignored them. "Look, say your goodbyes and get in the bag. I'll try to talk him out of putting you in a museum - but you're on the clock." She climbed down the ladder and it came shut with a creak and a bang.

Jessie and Woody, each holding their hat in a hand, went around the room hugging their friends goodbye. After Jessie hugged Buzz, he walked dutifully to the bag where he waited. Eventually Jessie turned and saw him there, and she ran back to him and hugged him again.

"Come with us, come with us," Jessie pleaded.

"We're not part of the deal," he reminded her.

She put her free hand on his arm and kissed his cheek, then crawled into the bag beside Woody's Roundup. She stared at him until Woody crawled into the bag. Bullseye traipsed after him, receiving pats on the head and back but unable to say a word to his friends.

" 'Bye, Bullseye."

"Nice knowing you, friend."

He struggled into the bag and Jessie's eyes lingered on Buzz even as she closed the zipper. Inside the bag, Jessie turned her back to Woody and Bullseye and ignored them, holding herself tightly.

There came again the dreadful sound of the steps creaking open, and the bag lifted and swayed. "Before I sign anything," Bonnie suddenly said, "I want to ask something of you."

"Okay," a man's voice said.

"Well they've been out of their boxes for a long, long time. They've probably lost half their value; in fact they need some fixing up."

"So what are you asking?"

The toys waited.

"They don't belong in a museum. Not anymore."

"I don't see why where I put 'em is any of your concern," came the impassive answer. "If I want 'em in my museum, I'll put 'em there."

"But - "

"Look, which do you want, the toys or the money?"

Bonnie couldn't answer.

"Here's your cash. Save it, in case you change your mind."

"But, wait!"

The bag stopped moving.

"How will I get in touch with you if that happens?"

The bag swayed again. "Your mom has my dad's address."

Woody's eyes went wide with shock, and Bullseye looked inquiringly at him as the door shut.

Only seconds passed before the door was flung open again and Bonnie's voice halted him once more. "Wait! Wait, you're Andy's kid?"

Jessie lifted her head. From the upstairs window, the remaining toys murmured restlessly.

"Yeah. You know him?"

"Know him? He gave me the toys in your bag!" Bonnie sounded happy again. "Andy had a...a kid?"

"He had my sisters, too. If my mom told me the truth," the man said slyly.

"Wow. So I can reach you."

"Easily."

"Okay. Okay, have a good day."

"You too." The bag continued to sway and Jessie smiled at Woody.

The car door opened and the bag was set down.

"Get what you wanted?" a new voice asked.

"Yeah. Check it out."

"Ah, finally inducted into the surprise, huh?" The toys froze as the zipper came open, and thirty-three-year-old Andy Davis smiled at the familiar faces. He picked Woody up and straightened his hat.

"Now your collection is complete. And check it out; she sold me the movie, too."

"What movie?"

Andy's son picked it up and showed it to him.

"So these toys are like a...thing," Andy said. "I wish I'd known."

"Well, now you do." The car started up. "They'll look great at the museum."

Andy carefully placed Woody back into the bag and zipped it shut, and the toys thawed, looking at each other in worry.

-0-0-0-0-

"Hey, Danny!" someone yelled.

"Good morning," Andy's son yelled back.

That woke Jessie up. They'd been travelling a whole day?

There was the sound of a key inserting into a lock, and then the sound of a glass door swinging open. Jessie froze with her trademark smile, and Woody and Bullseye did the same. Suddenly the zipper opened and Danny Davis took out each toy, one by one; putting them and Woody's Roundup into a small glass container with a lock and an alarm on the outside. Danny closed and locked the door and walked away, carrying the empty duffel bag with him.

Woody tried not to freak out. His right side was touching Stinky Pete! 


	7. Chapter 7

The toys couldn't move for seventeen hours.

The glass roof of their exhibit magnified the heat of the museum lights.

It was, in a word, miserable. Finally the museum emptied and the lights were shut off, casting their cage in utter darkness. Woody immediately jerked away from Prospector Pete. "I was afraid we'd see you here!"

"Now, Woody, we all knew it would come to this eventually. I'm willing to forgo all that happened at Al's place if you are."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you."

"In the spirit of making the eternity we have to spend together more pleasant - yes."

Woody glared at him. "You're just happy you finally got what you wanted." He looked up at the low roof of the ceiling and slowly stood, stopping when he realized he would have to take off his hat to stand up straight. He removed his hat and stood tall. "Great."

"Jessie, Bullseye..." Stinky Pete looked at them. "We've spent a lot of time together."

"It's also true that we've spent more time with Woody," Jessie countered.

"Let's just not talk," Woody snapped. "We're not here to get into it with you again."

"Fine, Woody. If that's really how you want to do this."

Being just a little shorter than Woody, Jessie didn't need to take off her hat to stand up. She got to her feet. "It might be more pleasant if we left it at that," Jessie intervened.

Woody retreated to the other end of the cage and Stinky Pete sat where he was. Not knowing which toy to follow, Bullseye stood in the middle, looking from one toy to another. Ignoring both of them, Jessie looked through the glass at the tall, dark museum. Her eyes were adjusting to the darkness, and she could see other exhibits. None of their contents were moving.

Suddenly Woody's reflection passed hers, and she turned to see him begrudgingly approaching Stinky Pete, who looked at him.

"Is there any way out of here?" Woody asked.

Stinky Pete shook his head. "No. I tried."

"What happened?"

"I managed to open the door just a crack. The alarm went off and security came running. You're stuck here, Woody, just like me."

"Great!" Woody repeated. "Of all the toys on this planet - "

Jessie pushed Woody away from Stinky Pete. "I thought we weren't getting into that."

"I can fight my own battles, Jessie," Stinky Pete said.

"There won't be any fighting. Work on forgoing everything; we're in this together now." Jessie looked from one toy to the other. "Danny didn't know you guys hate each other. You want to take it up with him?"

That shut them up.

"If you're not willing to talk to Danny Davis, then don't talk." Jessie draped her arm familiarly over Bullseye and the pair walked away.

-0-0-0-0-

Buzz sat on the carpet, his back against Bonnie's bed post. His wings were erect to display a message. On the right wing he had written NO, below which was the word MOOD. On his left wing he had written TO, below which was the word TALK. He ignored everybody, and they respected his message and ignored him.

He had been like that since Bonnie had completed the transaction of giving away his girlfriend. Bonnie had come in to apologetically say that Jessie was, indeed, going to a museum - she had had no say. Thankfully, they already knew that Andy himself owned the museum.

It was all that kept Buzz from shutting down.

The toys gathered in the opposite corner. "He's been like that for almost twenty-four hours," Mr. Potato Head said urgently.

"We need to do something," Hamm said. "He's bringing me down."

"What can we do?" Mrs. Potato Head asked him. "Ask him to hide from sight?"

"We could try to cheer him up," Rex suggested feebly.

"I have tried!" Mr. Potato Head retorted. "The guy's a rock."

"Well, no offense, Potata Head," Slink cut in, "But yer kinda rash. Not really the comforting type. Maybe yer not sayin' the right thing."

"Eh. You're a fool."

"If only Woody were here," Hamm sighed. "He lost Bo. He'd know what to say."

"Maybe there's nothing to say," Mrs. Potato Head said. "Look at him. He clearly doesn't want to talk."

Trixie walked forth and approached Buzz. "Hey. Do you need anything?"

Buzz totally ignored her.

"Is there something I can do?" she rephrased.

"No," he finally uttered. "No, just leave."

Trixie complied. "You were right," she told the Potato Heads.

An idea came to Hamm. "I'll try," he said, and left the group. "Hey, Buzz," he called, walking toward him. "The Andersons have Andy's number."

Buzz lifted his head and the toys felt a flicker of hope.

"I heard Bonnie plannin' on sneakin' out on that date," he continued. "Mrs. Anderson has a dental appointment and Mr. Anderson's got work. The phone's free at four-thirty."

"What are you saying?" Buzz finally asked.

"I'm sayin', ol' Spudster does a good impression of Bonnie's old man. Might be a long shot, but maybe Andy can convince Danny Boy to get them outta that museum."

Buzz looked back at the carpet. "That'll never work. Whether it's an impression or the real thing, why would he care?"

"Okay, how about this?" Mr. Potato Head asked. "What if Bonnie told Andy we're alive?"

Buzz considered, albeit briefly. "Might work, but two people already know our secret. One person knowing is too much."

"This is the only shot you have at seeing Jessie again, even just once a month," Mr. Potato Head snapped. "We're all trying to help you."

Buzz looked at the familiar, friendly faces and sighed. "We've got an hour and a half." 


	8. Chapter 8

"Hey, Robin. Travis." Bonnie's eyes focused on the brunette's familiar blue eyes. "You must be Garrett."

"Hi." He extended a hand and they shook. "What's up with the backpack?"

"I'm grounded, so skipping school is the only way I can have fun." She shrugged. "The backpack is just to cover up my lie."

He smiled. "You're pretty crafty."

"I know."

"Robin tells me you like photography, too. What kind of cam - "

Bonnie's ringtone interrupted him. "Uh, sorry. Let me just take this." She picked up her cell phone and stared at the caller ID as she walked away. It said her own landline was calling her. She answered. "Uh, hello?"

"Bonnie?"

"Yeah. Who's this?"

"Buzz. Buzz Lightyear!"

"Oh, hey, Bu-uh, Bobby. Listen, I'll call you back, okay?"

"Wait, wait - "

Bonnie hung up, turned and smiled at her watching friends and date. "Sorry. Ready to go?"

"Yeah," Robin said.

"Everything okay?" Garrett asked.

She smiled at him. "Yeah, perfectly - " Her ringtone again interrupted. "Shoot. One sec." She answered the call. "I told you, I'd call y - "

"If you can't talk, just listen! You need to call Andy and tell him all about us."

"What?"

"It's the only way we can get Jessie out of that museum!"

"We'll talk when I get home." She rolled her eyes as she hung up. "Sorry. My cousin."

"Everything okay with him?" Travis asked.

"Her. Yeah, she just wanted some help with her essay."

"I didn't know you had any female cousins," Robin said innocently. "Does she go to our school?"

"No," Bonnie said quickly. Seeing her friend's amusement, she tried to calm herself. "No, she's in Alabama. Mountain Brook," she added, after quick contemplation.

"What's her name?" Robin pried, as they got into the van.

"Theresa. Or Terri. She prefers Terri."

"So why did you say Bobby?" Robin demanded.

"Uh, that was Terri's brother," Bonnie said, wishing she had never told the lie in the first place.

"Both of your cousins called you?" Garrett asked.

"Yeah, they...they're working on the same project." Bonnie smiled, hoping it looked sincere.

Robin didn't look too convinced.

-0-0-0-0-

Buzz pushed the End Call button. "She said we'll talk when she gets back," he muttered.

"This is weird," Mr. Potato Head said. "Nothin' feels right without Woody psychoanalyzing everything."

"Or Jessie," Buzz said succinctly.

Slinky looked around the room, envisioning all the faces they had lost over the years. "It still feels like they're gonna walk into the room."

-0-0-0-0-

Woody thawed as soon as the lights went out. He stood and walked away from his fellow prisoners. Jessie followed him.

"Woody?"

"Yeah."

She nervously played with her hands. "Even after what Lotso did to us...you were willing to save him."

"What's your point, Jess?"

She looked over her shoulder at the closest thing she'd ever had to a fatherly figure, then back at her eldest friend. "The Prospector never locked you up," she said softly.

He turned to face her. "So?"

"He did what he did because he was desperate. Remember, you were against me once, too."

"He ripped my arm!"

"You knocked Buzz out the window," Jessie countered. "None of us have been perfect. I'm just saying...if we're stuck here forever - if things aren't going to get any worse, can't you move on?"

"That was different. Buzz forgave me - "

"And you didn't even have to apologize," she reprimanded.

"Yeah, well...Neither did Stinky Pete."

"He was willing to forget," Jessie told him. "In my opinion it's exactly the same. Far as I'm concerned, Lotso didn't deserve to be saved."

Woody looked at her again, before turning his eyes to the watchful Bullseye. He didn't appear to object to Jessie's words. With a groan he turned and crossed the cage, approaching Stinky Pete. "You really want to 'forgo' what happened?" he asked.

"If we're going to be sitting beside one another for countless years, we might as well get along," he answered.

"Well, I'm willing to try if you are."

"Excellent."

They stood there, looking expectantly at one another.

"Well?" Woody finally asked.

"Well, what?"

"What do you mean, what?" Woody demanded.

"I'm waiting to hear your apology."

"What do I have to be sorry about?"

"How about destroying my dream of coming here twenty-eight years ago?" Stinky Pete snapped.

The museum door creaked open and the toys hurried into position, smiling as if nothing was wrong. The museum lights flooded the room and a pair of men walked in. "And get the original from the back," one of them was ordering. They parted ways, and one of them soon returned holding a box.

"You get it?"

"Yeah."

They left again, turning off the lights and closing the door. The minute they were gone, the Prospector lunged for his pickaxe. He prepared to take a swing at Woody, but something grabbed the axe from behind. He looked over his shoulder. Bullseye had clamped onto the axe part with his teeth. With Stinky Pete distracted, Jessie and Woody grabbed him and rendered him immobile.

"Fine! You're not sorry, I'm not sorry. Let's just agree to disagree!" Woody yelled.

Stinky Pete let go of the handle of his pickaxe and threw his fist into Woody's face, effectively breaking the quartet apart. Jessie grabbed the pickaxe and leaned on it like a cane, watching Stinky Pete and Woody battle it out. Finally she'd had enough, and put the blade to Stinky Pete's chin.

The quarrel came to an immediate halt. Slowly, he released Woody.

"Jessie. Come on."

Jessie ignored him, pressing the blade further against his chin. Moving about as fast as a turtle, he walked away.

She held it in her grasp and touched Woody's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

He jerked away from her like she was poisonous. "Be more careful where you place your trust," he advised, and he tipped his hat and retreated to the opposite end of the exhibit. 


	9. Chapter 9

Bonnie unlocked the door as quietly as she could. Letting herself inside she made her way quietly to her bedroom, gritting her teeth.

She really hadn't meant to be out until nine.

She let herself into her room with a soft sigh. Turning, she looked at the row of toys. "Sorry I'm late. I...thought I would say that to my parents, but whatever." She dropped her backpack.

"You need to call Andy," Buzz repeated stubbornly.

"And tell him...that every toy on the planet is alive?" Bonnie asked. "When I offered to tell Danny Davis, you all panicked and said no. That's his son. How is telling Andy any different than telling Danny Davis himself?"

"We don't know Danny Boy," Mr. Potato Head answered.

"You don't know Andy anymore either," Bonnie countered.

"We trust him," Hamm jumped in. "Because we know we can."

"We've got to get our friends back, at least once a month," Buzz told Bonnie. "So you can phone him, or we'll take his address and go there anyway."

Bonnie raised her brows. "I thought you said there were consequences."

"Consequences, shmonsequences," Mr. Potato Head dismissed.

Bonnie smiled and reached for the phone. "They're lucky to have friends like you. What should I tell him?"

"Tell him to meet you," Trixie intervened.

"How come?" Buzz asked. "She can just tell him our secret right now..."

"No," Trixie said harshly. "Anyone can listen in."

"Really?"

"Yes. I wanted to tell you before, but you blurted your name before I could say anything."

Bonnie nodded and checked Andy's phone number. "Oh, hey, here's a thought. What if I brought Sid? He'll have to believe the both of us."

"Good thinking!" Buzz praised.

"Alright, alright, quiet," Bonnie said, as Andy's phone began to ring.

"Hello?"

"Andy, hi, it's Bonnie."

"Bonnie?" There was a slight hesitation. "Bonnie Anderson?"

"Yeah."

"The girl I gave my toys to?"

"Yeah. Listen, about that. We need to talk. Can you come over tomorrow?"

"Oh, uh...Okay. Same address?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. See you then."

" 'Bye."

" 'Bye." Bonnie disconnected. "Well, that went well. Now I just have to invite Sid."

If toys could, Rex would have shivered.

-0-0-0-0-

Sid arrived first. As he had known their secret for years, the toys did not resume their poses when he and Bonnie entered the living room. They looked at him openly. The first thing he did was reach for Buzz, who tensed as Sid Phillips' hand reached toward him. Rex emitted a little whine as he lifted Buzz close.

Then Sid tilted him backward and lifted his foot, looking at the faded name on the bottom. "Of all the copies out there, it always comes back to you," he said, and with nothing more to say he set Buzz down.

"I don't understand," Bonnie said.

"I came across the same Buzz earlier in life," he said, and quirked a brow. "Is that easier?"

"Blown up any toys lately?" Mr. Potato Head asked rudely.

Sid looked at him and finally shook his head. "No. Not since...not since I was a kid."

"What changed?" Mr. Potato Head asked. "Findin' out that you'd basically been murderin' the things that make kids happy?"

"Shut up," Hamm said succinctly, and proceeded to add, "Don't poke the human."

Sid looked at Mr. Potato Head. "Do you honestly think I haven't changed after all these years?"

"All I remember is my pal strapped to a rocket."

Sid looked at Buzz, who watched him tensely. "Sorry."

Buzz didn't look mollified. "While I decide whether I accept your apology or not, try not to revert to your lawless civilian ways of old."

A knock summoned Bonnie from the room, and the toys each found a hiding place as Sid watched them scatter. Moments later, Bonnie and Andy walked into the bedroom. "Hey, Sid, I'd like you to meet Andy Davis; Andy, meet Sid Phillips."

The two young men stared at each other, each recognizing the other's name.

"Okay," Bonnie said, "Andy, um, Sid and I have something kind of weird to tell you."

Andy finally looked at her. "What?"

"Um, okay, first, you have to promise not to tell a soul."

From somewhere in the room, Andy thought he heard a scoff.

"Okay," he said slowly, feeling like something unusual was about to happen.

Sid looked at Bonnie, who was clearly struggling for words. "Oh, for Pete's sake. The toys are alive!"

"Alive? What? What toys?"

"All toys." Sid looked over at the bookcase, under which Trixie hid. "Come on out, fellas."

Andy watched, stricken into silence with shock, as the familiar toys from his past - or at least, a few of them - came out of their hiding places, walking on their own legs and looking up at him with blinking eyes. One by one they gathered, until they were assembled around him.

"What...what..." Finally he looked at Sid. "How?"

Bonnie smiled down at her collection. "We don't know."

Buzz looked up at Andy's familiar face. "Andy Davis, we need to talk."

"O-Okay," Andy stammered.

"Your son bought Woody, Jessie, and Bullseye for your museum. Correct?"

"Y-uh, yes..."

"They're stuck there, aren't they?"

"Uh, yes." He blinked, looking from one toy to another. "So this is what Daniel was talking about."

Buzz walked forward a bit. "I know you weren't aware of this, but Jessie and I are intimately involved. And Woody and Bullseye are a big part of this group."

"We miss them dearly!" Mrs. Potato Head trilled.

"We respectfully request that you have them removed from the museum and placed in an alternate location," Buzz continued. "It's important that we can visit them, or they us."

"I see." Andy considered the request. "Well, I wouldn't want somebody keeping Janey from me."

The toys' faces brightened.

"Can I borrow your collection for a bit?" Andy asked Bonnie. "The world-famous Roundup Gang will want to see their faces." 


	10. Chapter 10

The car hit a speedbump, jarring the box and its complaining contents. "Sorry, speedbump," Andy said. "We're here!"

Little green fingers came out of the grip space as Rex peered through. "I don't see anything."

"That's the backseat, bozo," Mr. Potato Head admonished.

"Wait here," Andy said, unbuckling. "You'll have your friends back in no time."

"Oh, Mr. Lightyear!" Mrs. Potato Head trilled. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Yeah, yeah, just do us a favor and get a room," Mr. Potato Head added.

Buzz chuckled and hoisted himself over the box. As he perched there on the edge, he saw something in the bushes. Something...familiar.

He waited for a flash of lightning. Yes! Jessie's boots.

He grinned and dropped onto the seat, approaching the interior door handle. Climbing up he scaled the small glass barrier and dropped to the wet pavement, hiding behind one of the tires as a truck drove past. Running across the pavement he stopped and turned, checking for traffic as he backed into the bushes.

Jessie's boot caught his leg and he tripped, landing on his rear. He was clicking his armor back into place when he looked up - and froze.

Jessie's legs were unattached. Stuffing oozed out of the torn, gaping ends.

He launched himself onto his hands and knees, gathering the stuffing and disembodied legs in his arms. Standing straight, he carried her lower half through the foliage, until he caught sight of her braid poking out from underneath some of the twigs.

Lifting the branches out of the way, he was so paralyzed by the sight of her that he dropped her legs.

She was dirty and wet, and her nose was chipped. Her hat was gone, and her left eye was cracked so badly that it wasn't even responding to her commands. She lay unconscious in the bushes, her functional eye closed, her shattered eye staring, unseeing, with a look of terror frozen in place.

My Jessie...

He dropped to his knees and touched her sweet face with both hands. His fingers lightly brushed her damaged eye, staring into the darkness above. And as he knelt beside her, taking her lifeless hands in his, he felt something that was not plastic break inside of him. 


End file.
